Fight the Treatment Industrial Complex

AFSC-Arizona staff are amazing advocates for prisoners - and as such, are true blessings to our communities. Spend time on their site - lots of resources.

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NATIVE RESISTANCE AND THE CARCERAL STATE

Retiring Arizona Prison Watch...

This site was originally started in July 2009 as an independent endeavor to monitor conditions in Arizona's criminal justice system, as well as offer some critical analysis of the prison industrial complex from a prison abolitionist/anarchist's perspective. It was begun in the aftermath of the death of Marcia Powell, a 48 year old AZ state prisoner who was left in an outdoor cage in the desert sun for over four hours while on a 10-minute suicide watch. That was at ASPC-Perryville, in Goodyear, AZ, in May 2009.

Marcia, a seriously mentally ill woman with a meth habit sentenced to the minimum mandatory 27 months in prison for prostitution was already deemed by society as disposable. She was therefore easily ignored by numerous prison officers as she pleaded for water and relief from the sun for four hours. She was ultimately found collapsed in her own feces, with second degree burns on her body, her organs failing, and her body exceeding the 108 degrees the thermometer would record. 16 officers and staff were disciplined for her death, but no one was ever prosecuted for her homicide. Her story is here.

Marcia's death and this blog compelled me to work for the next 5 1/2 years to document and challenge the prison industrial complex in AZ, most specifically as manifested in the Arizona Department of Corrections. I corresponded with over 1,000 prisoners in that time, as well as many of their loved ones, offering all what resources I could find for fighting the AZ DOC themselves - most regarding their health or matters of personal safety.

I also began to work with the survivors of prison violence, as I often heard from the loved ones of the dead, and learned their stories. During that time I memorialized the Ghosts of Jan Brewer - state prisoners under her regime who were lost to neglect, suicide or violence - across the city's sidewalks in large chalk murals. Some of that art is here.

In November 2014 I left Phoenix abruptly to care for my family. By early 2015 I was no longer keeping up this blog site, save occasional posts about a young prisoner in solitary confinement in Arpaio's jail, Jessie B.

I'm deeply grateful to the prisoners who educated, confided in, and encouraged me throughout the years I did this work. My life has been made all the more rich and meaningful by their engagement.

I've linked to some posts about advocating for state prisoner health and safety to the right, as well as other resources for families and friends. If you are in need of additional assistance fighting the prison industrial complex in Arizona - or if you care to offer some aid to the cause - please contact the Phoenix Anarchist Black Cross at PO Box 7241 / Tempe, AZ 85281. collective@phoenixabc.org

Monday, February 10, 2014

This is interesting - Judicial Watch is typically right wingers going after liberal judges and bureaucrats - it sure would be fun to see them come out after Chuck Ryan. Anyway, for all you wrongful death and personal injury attorneys out there suing the AZ DOC, I'm posting it exactly as I got it tonight. Subpoena the ACA's records of this matter for more details about falsified documents and ghost posting of rosters at the AZ DOC.

The
below letter was sent to me by an anonymous source. The underlining is
mine, as well as the spelling out of what "ACA" means. The letter was
authored and distributed to the membership by Anthony Spears,
President, ACA. Please scroll downward to read the letter.

The
portions I underlined strongly suggest the need for an independent
investigation, audit and/or hearings. Middle Ground Prison Reform is a
prisoner rights organization, but we certainly understand the
perspective of staff who believe they are being lied to, asked to
cover-up liability issues, falsify records, and to risk their own
safety while Department administrators sit at their comfortable Central
Office desks.

It is time for the Governor and the Legislature to
conduct comprehensive hearings and an unbiased, INDEPENDENT
investigation into the claims made by the "boots on the ground." If any
of these individual allegations are credible, then the seriousness of
the allegations demand a serious and formal investigation.

As
we see it, the CORE of the problem is the reference to "ghost" posting
rosters, which implies that the DOC is short-staffing shifts of guards,
and later -- when reporting is required for some reason (such as a
lawsuit or a request from a legislator who has received a complaint) --
someone is deliberately altering the rosters to indicate that more
guards were on duty than were actually on duty on a certain shift or
day. Hence, this would explain why inmate-on-staff and inmate-on-inmate
assaults are occurring and increasing. It would also suggest illegal
tampering with public records documents and other liability for the DOC,
not to mention a host of other serious issues.

Mr. Spears has
made some serious claims. Investigation into these claims would clearly
expose him either as a crackpot or a responsible leader of his
organization. The allegations he makes are so serious, it would be
almost criminal not to investigate -- the Legislature must not be
complicit in these matters. The pubic needs to know.

Middle
Ground Prison Reform stands ready to support the efforts of ACA to
obtain a resolution to these serious problems and accusations. Even if
it involves wrong-doing at the highest levels, llegislators have a
responsibility not to turn a blind eye to these matters.

As
the membership is well aware, the officers at the Department of
Corrections are being subjected to serious safety concerns resulting in
numerous officers being viciously attacked, injured, and abused without a
blink from the AZ DOC's management. Our research has revealed shocking
and disturbing patterns of poor staffing, alarming increases in prisoner
on prisoner and prisoner on staff assaults, increase in officer
disciplines for officer's compliance with DOC policy which conflicts
with ostensible unlawful managerial directives,
discipline/administrative reprisals for reporting deficiencies or wrong
doing, request from management to rewrite official documents skewing the
facts and the truth to avoid liability, ghost posting rosters which are
deceptive and seemingly unethical in violation of public records laws,
and a complete lack of transparency and accountability on behalf of the
AZ DOC managerial staff. The corruption bubbling, slithering and oozing
down the chain of command from the top is alarming.

Despite our
best efforts and desires to work through these serious personnel and
safety issues with management, the ACA (Arizona Corrections
Association) has exhausted all of the internal methods to resolve
problems brought to us by our membership. Unfortunately, the internal
methods have been met to no avail, leaving the ACA with no other option
than to seek resolution through other means. The ACA, through its
President and Board, have enlisted the assistance of our State
organization, the Arizona Police Association (APA) and Judicial Watch.
The ACA has requested that the serious safety issues be taken directly
to the Governor's Office. We believe that only an external examination
of the policies, staffing model, actual staffing schedules, disciplinary
policies and managerial retaliation upon employees reporting wrong
doing, the lack of availability of post orders and other governing
policies, managerial accountability, in concert with investigations into
the reasons for staff and prisoner assaults are examined with great
care and that an unbiased, external review will see beyond the veneer of
deceptive, "sound good" vernacular and self-preservative explanations
currently promulgated by the director and managerial staff in an attempt
to cover-up the serious mismanagement occurring at DOC and have now
caught the attention of the legislature and the media.

As usual, the ACA is staying engaged in these issues and will keep you posted on the progresses made.

The ACA has listened carefully to your concerns
regarding staff safety. When those concerns appeared to fall on deaf
ears within the department, the ACA along with APA Executive Director
Levi Bolton brought your concerns regarding staff safety and staff
assaults to the attention of the Legislature and the Attorney General’s
office. Now your concerns are the concerns of the Judicial Watch.

Pursuant
to the provisions of the Arizona Public Records Law (APRL), AR.S.
39-101 through 39-221, Judicial Watch is requesting from the Arizona
Department of Corrections access.to and
copies of the following public records be made available for inspection
pursuant to the Arizona Public Records Law, AR.S. § 39-121, et seq.:

Copies of any Incident Reports, reports, memos, notes, and/or any
documentation of the assault of COIl Boykin at Kaibab -Cell Block 2.

Statistics on how many Correctional Officers I, II, III, Sergeants,
and/or Captains have been assaulted by inmates throughout the State of
Arizona in Department of Corrections from January 1,2011 through October
16,2013.

Statistics regarding the level of security for the inmates who have
assaulted Correctional Officers I, II, III, Sergeants, and/or Captains,
including but not limited to, if the inmates were from SMU and
designated as "1-5, MH 3+ inmates", from January 1,2011 through October
16,2013.

Statistics on how many Correctional Officers I, II, III, Sergeants,
and/or Captains have been assaulted when the "posts" have been
"collapsed" from January 1,2011 through October 16,2013.

Copies of any Incident Reports, reports, memos, notes, and/or any
documentation of the assault of Lopez which occurred on or about July
24, 2013 during swing shift in CB2.

These records are considered public under AR.S. 39-101 through
39-221. For purpose of this request the term "record" shall mean: (1)
any written, printed, or typed material of any kind, including without
limitation all correspondence, memoranda, notes, messages, letters,
cards, telegrams, teletypes, facsimiles, papers, forms, records,
telephone messages, diaries, schedules, calendars, chronological data,
minutes, books, reports, charts, lists, ledgers, invoices, worksheets,
receipts, returns, computer printouts, printed matter, prospectuses,
statements, check, statistics, surveys, affidavits, contracts,
agreements, transcripts, magazine or newspaper articles, or press
releases, (2) any electronically, magnetically, or mechanically stored
material of any kind, including without limitation all electronic mail
or e-mail, meaning any electronically transmitted text or graphic
communication created upon and transmitted or received by any computer
or other electronic device, and all materials stored on compact disk,
computer disk, diskette, hard drive, server, or tape; (3) any audio,
aural, visual, or video records, recordings, or representations of any
kind, including without limitation all cassette tapes, compact disks,
digital video disks, microfiche, microfilm, motion pictures, pictures,
photographs, or videotapes; (4) any graphic materials and data
compilations from which information can be obtained; (5) any materials
using other means of preserving thought or expression; and (6) any
tangible things from which data or information can be obtained,
processed recorded, or transcribed. The term "record" also shall mean
any drafts, alterations, amendments, changes, or modifications of or to
any of the foregoing.

Judicial Watch, Inc. also requests
that copies of the above-referenced public records be mailed to it
promptly pursuant to AR.S. § 39-121.01(D)(1).

For
purposes of this request, the term "record" shall be given its broadest
possible meaning and shall include, but not be limited to, any and all
materials coming within the definition of the term "records" set forth
in AR.S. § 41-151.18. It also shall include any and all electronically,
magnetically, or mechanically stored material of any kind, any and all
electronic mail or e-mail, meaning any electronically transmitted text
or graphic communication created upon and transmitted or received by any
computer or other electronic device, and any and all material stored on
compact disc, computer disk, diskette, hard drive, flash drive, or
other electronic storage device. The term "record" also shall mean any
drafts, alterations, amendments, changes, or modifications of or to any
of the foregoing.

If any responsive records or
categories of records are withheld from inspection and copying, please
provide an index of the records or categories records that have been
withheld and identify the reasons that each record or categories of
record has been withheld, pursuant to AR.S. § 39-121.01(D)(2).

Judicial
Watch, Inc. is a not-for-profit, public interest organization. It does
not seek copies of the requested records for any commercial purpose, as
that term is defined by AR.S. § 39-121.03(D). In addition, Judicial
Watch, Inc. requests a waiver of any copying or postage fees. Should its
request for a fee waiver be denied, Judicial Watch, Inc. agrees to pay
reasonable fees associated with the production and mailing of the
requested records. If any fee is to be charged, please notify Judicial
Watch, Inc. in advance if the expected fee is likely to exceed $350.00.

Please
note that, pursuant to AR.S. § 39-121.01(E), access to a public record
is deemed denied if a response to a request for inspection and
production of a public record, or an index of any record or categories
of records withheld from inspection and production, is not provided
promptly. Pursuant to A.R.S. 39-121.01.3.D, these records related to
these requests must be furnished promptly. Please provide us a prompt
written response and records.

If you do not
understand this request or any portion thereof, or if you feel you
require additional information or clarification in order to respond to
this request or any portion thereof, please contact me immediately at
(602) 510-7875 or mspencer@judicialwatch.org.Very truly yours,